'Optogenetics' Sheds Light on Role of Different Neurons

For decades, those who study brain cell activity have faced a fundamental trade off: either closely monitor the activity of a single cell or look at the circuit level to see how large groups of neurons communicate with each other.A new technique, optogenetics, makes it possible to study both the micro and the macro levels of brain activity.The technique allows scientists to stimulate activity in specific types of neurons with light, rather than with invasive metal electrodes.Stanford University bioengineer Karl Deisseroth, who has used optogenetics in live mouse models since 2007, described the technique Saturday morning at the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, D.C.Read more at...SFARI, November 2008.